The Bible Way to Receive the Holy Spirit

By Kenneth E. Hagin

CONTENTS

1 The Holy Spirit is a Gift

2 To Tarry or Not to Tarry

3 Receive the Holy Spirit

4 The New Testament Way

5 'Come and Drink'

6 The Bible Way to Receive the Holy Spirit

A Sinner's Prayer to Receive Jesus as Savior

Chapter 1

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A GIFT

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he
may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot
receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for
he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

—John 14:16,17

This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being
by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the
promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and
hear.

—Acts 2:32,33
In the Scriptures, there is a difference between being born of the Spirit and
being filled with the Spirit.

When we are born again, we receive eternal life.

The life and nature of God recreates our spirit—our inner man. We become
the "new creature" Second Corinthians 5:17 speaks of.

In John 14:17, Jesus spoke of the Comforter (the Holy Spirit), stating
emphatically that the world cannot receive Him "because it seeth him not,
neither knoweth him."

People in the world—those who are not born again—cannot receive this
experience of the Holy Spirit that Jesus spoke of. Only born-again people can
be filled with the Holy Spirit.

As we study the New Testament Church, it is apparent that the first

Christians believed that receiving the Holy Spirit is an experience that comes
after salvation. This is seen most clearly, I think, in Acts.

8. When I was a young Baptist boy preacher, this portion of Scripture

enlightened me as much as any other to see that there is an experience
subsequent to salvation called in Scripture "receiving the Holy Spirit," "being
filled with the Holy Spirit," or "being baptized with the Holy Spirit."

ACTS 8:5,12,14-17

5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ
unto them. . . .

12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the
kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both
men and women....

14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria
had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:

15 Who, when they were come down, PRAYED FOR THEM, THAT
THEY MIGHT RECEIVE THE HOLY GHOST:
16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized
in the name of the Lord Jesus.)

17 Then laid they their hands on them AND THEY RECEIVED THE
HOLY GHOST.

The Samaritans obviously were saved before the visit of Peter and John.
Peter, who ought to know, defined salvation in First Peter 1:23 as "Being
born again not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the word of God,
which liveth and 7

abideth forever." We saw in verse 12 that the Samaritans had believed and
had been baptized in water; in verse 14 we saw that they had received the
Word of God.

Peter and John didn't pray for the Samaritans to get saved. They already were
saved. The apostles prayed that they might receive the Holy Spirit!

Notice this carefully (it will help you help others): Peter and John did not
pray that God would give the Samaritans the Holy Spirit. They prayed "that
they might receive the Holy Ghost."

We ought to pray according to the Word of God.

It is up to mankind to receive what God offers.

Eternal life is a gift. Healing is a gift. The Holy Spirit is a gift. Notice how
the Samaritans received: "Then laid they their hands on them, and they
received the Holy Ghost." They prayed for them that they might receive.

We need to realize, as Peter said, that God sent the Holy Spirit on the day of
Pentecost—and the Holy Spirit has been here ever since. It is not up to God
to send Him. He is here now. He is the only agency of the Godhead at work
on the earth today. He IS here!

The first reference to the Holy Spirit in this eighth chapter of Acts comes in
verse 15, yet we clearly see Him in action in previous verses:
ACTS 8:6-8

6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which
Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.

7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were
possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame,
were healed.

8 And there was great joy in that city.

Philip was preaching under an anointing of the Holy Spirit. Wherever the
Word is preached, the Spirit moves to confirm the Word.

The Holy Spirit's work in the areas of salvation, healing, and miracles is not
the same, however, as the experience of the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Did you ever wonder why Peter and John were singled out to make that
journey to Samaria?

Because they had been endowed by the Spirit of God to lay hands on people
to receive the Holy Spirit. Some have this special ministry and some do not,
but whether you do or not, you can minister in faith and God will honor your
faith.

Acts 8:19 proves that Peter and John had such a ministry. Notice that Simon
the Sorcerer offered Peter and John money, saying, "Give me also this power,
that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost."

Some have erroneously thought that Simon tried to buy the experience of the
Holy Spirit. He didn't. Simon tried to buy the power to lay hands on people
that they might receive the Holy Spirit.

Peter replied to Simon (v. 20), "Thy money perish with thee, because thou
hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money."

Simon is not trying to buy the gift of the Holy Spirit as a personal possession.
He is trying to buy the ability to lay hands on people that they might receive
the Holy Spirit. Notice that Peter calls that ability a gift.
There are four Greek words translated "gift" in the New Testament. If you
don't know that, you will never understand the depths of what the New
Testament is teaching. One of the words means "a free gift." (Eternal life and
receiving the Holy Spirit are free gifts.) But this word in verse 20 is a
different word. In the Greek it means "an endowment."

Peter was saying that he and John were "gifted" or "endowed" to lay hands on
people to receive the Holy Spirit. That is the reason they were sent to
Samaria.

Chapter 2

TO TARRY OR NOT TO TARRY

After I was baptized in the Holy Spirit as a young Baptist boy pastor and
came among Full Gospel people, I never ministered the way they did
concerning the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

In those days (1937-39) in our part of the country at least, all of the Full
Gospel people I knew got everybody to "tarry."

They took this custom from Luke 24, where Jesus said, "Tarry ye in the city
of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high" (v. 49).

Really, there isn't any formula for receiving the Holy Spirit. If Luke 24:49 is
a formula, what right do we have to omit the word "Jerusalem"?

Jesus said, "Tarry ye in Jerusalem...."

It was just as necessary for them to be in Jerusalem as it was for them to

tarry, because in God's plan the outpouring of the Holy Spirit had to have its
beginning in Jerusalem. This Scripture cannot be a formula for receiving the
baptism in 13

the Holy Spirit.

"Tarry" means wait. "Wait in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endued with
power from on high." They waited in Jerusalem. Acts 2:1 says, "And when
the day of Pentecost was fully come ...."

You see, when that day came, they didn't have to wait any longer!

After Acts 2, you never read in the Acts of the Apostles where anybody was
ever instructed to wait, nor do you see anybody waiting to be filled with the
Spirit. From the day of Pentecost on, everyone, every time, was filled with
the Holy Spirit immediately. The early Church emphasized that individuals
could receive immediately.

I certainly believe in waiting on God, however. Spirit-filled people need to

wait on God.

But it is a great deal easier to wait on God after you are filled with the Holy
Spirit than it is before. We don't need to have people tarry or wait to be filled
with the Holy Spirit.

Why? For the simple reason we do not see them tarrying in the days of the
early Church.

I realized when I was still a young Baptist preacher that the baptism in the
Holy Spirit is a gift like salvation. When I myself received, I received by faith
immediately with no tarrying.

After I started pastoring a Full Gospel church full of people who had been
taught that tarrying was necessary, I didn't try to change them right away. If
somebody wanted to come to the altar to tarry and seek, I would let those
who knew how to tarry and seek pray with them. I didn't go down there,
because I knew better, but I let them go.

It was really amazing. Unless you younger folks are in certain Pentecostal
circles today, you never will know what happened. Sometimes it was a
sideshow.

One night two young men came to the altar to be filled with the Spirit. Some
of the men from the church prayed with them for 45 minutes.

There was a church member on each side of one young man. One was
hollering, "Hold on, brother, hold on!" The other was hollering, "Turn loose,
brother, turn loose!"

A third member was kneeling behind the young man, praying and thumping
him on his back like an air-hammer. He was hollering, "Holler louder,
brother, holler louder! God will hear you if you'll holler louder!"

A fourth man was in front of the young man, yelling right in his face, and
spitting on him every time he opened his mouth. He was hollering, "Give up,
brother, give up!"

I tell you, it went from that to worse!

After 45 minutes of hollering and shouting at the two young men, my

members wore themselves out. They got up and left the poor fellows. They
didn't get either one of the young men filled with the Holy Spirit. (Of course,
once in a while, not because of them, but in spite of them, they would
manage to get someone filled.) The two young candidates started to leave.

I jumped up then and said, "Wait a minute, fellows. Wait a minute. Do you
really want to be filled with the Spirit?"

They looked at me in amazement. I could tell by the look on their faces that
they thought I was crazy.

I had them sit on the altar bench, and I read Scriptures to them. I pointed out
how the Samaritans had received.

I said, "You see, you've been shouting for God to give you something. You've
been waiting for Gcd to do something. But He's waiting for you to receive.

"If I offered you a gift, what would you have to do to get it?"

"Well, just receive it," they said.

I said, "That's all you have to do—just receive the Holy Spirit."

Both young men instantly received and started speaking inspired utterance in
another language.
I left my last pastorate in 1949 and went out in field ministry. I seldom if ever
left any church without helping get all the "chronic seekers" filled with the
Holy Spirit. We would run out of them. My greatest success was with a man
who had been seeking for 50 years!

You can do the same thing. I am going to teach you how to get people filled
with the Holy Spirit the way I do.

I believe we're in good company with Peter and John, apostles of the Lord (I
feel a lot safer in the company of the apostles than I do with some preachers),
so I follow the same procedures they followed.

I lay hands on people to receive the Holy Spirit. I do it in faith because it is

scriptural, but also do it because I have a ministry along that line.

Chapter 3

RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT

God already has done all He is ever going to do about providing the plan of
salvation: He sent Jesus. Now it is up to us to receive Jesus.

Salvation belongs to every man who dies and goes to hell, because Jesus died
for the ungodly.

The man in hell either rejected salvation if he heard of it, or he didn't know
about it. Either way, it belonged to him.

God already has done all He is ever going to do about providing healing for
us: God laid our sicknesses and diseases on Jesus, and Jesus bore them. In the
mind of God we are already healed! It is up to us to receive healing. Healing
belongs to us.

I have gotten many bedfast people to see the truth of First Peter 2:24, "by
whose stripes ye were healed." They started believing while they were still
bedfast, and they received their healing.

Others, however, said, "No, I can't accept that now.

When I can walk—when all the symptoms leave—I will believe it." I am
sorry to say that they died.

You never read in the Bible where God or the Holy Spirit use force. You
never read where God makes people do anything. (You will read where the
devil and his evil spirits drive and force people to do things.)

The Holy Spirit is a gentleman. He leads. He guides. It is up to you to

respond. The Bible says, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they
are the sons of God" (Rom. 8:14) "As many as are led." Not "as many as are
made to do."

That is the way I get chronic "seekers" to receive, too. I usually ask them to
stand as I read Scriptures and explain that the Holy Spirit is a gift.

(I believe in kneeling to pray, but some chronic seekers have been seeking for
years on their knees, and the minute they get on their knees, they get back in
the same rut.)

I lay hands on them and say, "Receive the Holy Spirit!" I've had dozens at a
time start speaking in tongues. Their pastors would scratch their heads in
amazement and say, "Some of these people have been seeking for years, and
that was so easy!" (I thought to myself, Why didn't you tel them how easy it
was?)

One pastor said, "Brother Hagin, I know that's the Holy Spirit. I can tell.
They are talking in tongues. That's the Holy Spirit, all right. But, you make it
too easy for people to get the Holy Spirit!"

I said, "No, brother. You're wrong. I didn't make it easy. I didn't put it on a
gift basis. God did.

I just tell people it's a gift, and I encourage them to receive the gift."

A Baptist minister attending a conference where I was teaching on the Holy

Spirit came up to me afterwards, quite angry.

"I've got the Holy Spirit just as much as you have! And I don't speak with
tongues. I got the Holy Spirit when I was born again," he said.

I said, "Certainly. Glory to God. If you're satisfied, I'm satisfied. I don't want
to give you anything more than you want. If you don't have any hunger for
God—if you don't want any more of God—that's just fine with me.

"I just went on a little further with the Lord, had another drink of the Spirit,
and got full. If you want to stop without being full, that's fine with me.

If you're satisfied that you've got all God has for you, fine."

"Well, no, no," he said. "I'm sure I don't have all God has for me."

"Well, are you hungry, thirsty?"

"Yes!"

"Do you want to be filled?"

"I believe I have the Holy Spirit."

I said, "I'll not argue about that. Certainly you do! You're born of the Spirit.
But do you want to be filled?"

"Yes!"

I laid hands on him, and he started talking in tongues right there. He got full,
glory to God!

Chapter 4

THE NEW TESTAMENT WAY

Eight years after the day of Pentecost, the Samaritans were saved and
baptized in water as a result of Philip's preaching.

Peter and John were dispatched from Jerusalem. They laid hands on the new
converts, and they received the Holy Spirit (Acts 8).
Notice that it was without agonizing, without tarrying, without
disappointment—and without exception. All the new believers were filled
with the Holy Spirit.

Ten years after the day of Pentecost, Peter went to the house of Cornelius at
Caesarea (Acts 10). He began to preach to Cornelius' friends and relatives.
According to verse 44, "While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost
fell on all them which heard the word." (Remember, "faith cometh by
hearing, and hearing by the word of God," Rom. 10:17.)

Cornelius and his household not only were saved; they were filled with the
Holy Spirit without praying, without waiting—and without exception.

How did Peter and the astonished Jewish believers with him know that these
Gentiles had received the Holy Spirit? According to verse 46, "THEY
HEARD THEM SPEAK WITH TONGUES, and magnify God."

Let's follow the New Testament. The next Bible instance is in Acts 19,
twenty years after the day of Pentecost. This is the last recorded instance in
the Acts of the Apostles of people receiving the Holy Spirit.

ACTS 19:1-3, 6

1 . . . Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and
finding certain disciples,

2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?
And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be
any Holy Ghost.

3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they
said, Unto John's baptism

6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on
them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

Notice that they were filled without waiting, without tarrying, without
singing, without agonizing.
This is the way the apostles did it. Let's do it the same way. Then we truly
will be following the New Testament.

Paul himself, that great apostle, received the Holy Spirit when Ananias laid
hands on him (Acts 9:17).

Although it does not say that Paul spoke with tongues, we know he did,
because Paul said in First Corinthians 14:18, "I thank my God, I speak with
tongues more than ye all." When do you suppose he started talking in
tongues? His experience must have been like the others. He spoke in tongues
when he was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Notice, too, that when Ananias laid hands on Paul to receive the Holy Spirit,
Paul received without waiting, without tarrying, without singing, and without
agonizing. In every instance when people wanted to receive the Holy Spirit,
everyone was filled; no one went away disappointed.

Any church by right teaching can get people to that place where they always
receive the Holy Spirit. I've proven it in my own ministry. It is the teaching of
the Word that does it.

You see, God does not have any "trial-and-error" methods. Too frequently
people use "trial-and-error" methods when trying to help people receive the
Holy Spirit. They'll try this and that, hoping something will work. But God
does not use any method of having people come, seek, and turn away empty.

In July 1951, I was holding a meeting in a Full Gospel church in Oklahoma.

After I was into the second week of teaching along this line, I laid hands on
people, and they received the Holy Spirit and spoke in other tongues.

The first time I did this, seven came forward, and six received instantly. The
next night, the church was only half full, and the following night it was only a
third full.

I asked the pastor, "What happened?"

He said, "I don't know, but I'll see if I can find out."
The next day he told me, "Brother Hagin, my people never saw anybody lay
hands on people to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit. They always were
taught to tarry."

He explained, "A retired minister who is quite aged built this church. Some of
the members got a committee of three to go ask him if this laying on of hands
is right or not. He told them, 'We always tarried. It's wrong not to. These
newfangled, modern-day shortcuts are wrong. Don't go to that meeting and
support it. Go on Sunday morning.

Support the church and the pastor, but not that evangelist. He's all wrong.'"

Ordinarily the pastor preached Sunday mornings, but he asked me to take that
service. I prayed about it, and the Lord told me, "You preach on 'The Bible
Way To Receive the Holy Spirit.'"

Part of it is this message I am sharing with you.

I said to that congregation, "You can't get any more old-fashioned than the
Book of Acts. I believe in doing it the old-fashioned way.

"If being filled with the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands is a shortcut,
then the Lord Jesus Christ Himself believes in it, because He appeared in a
vision to Ananias and said, 'You go lay hands on Saul.'

"If receiving the Holy Spirit right away by the laying on of hands is a
modernistic, newfangled way, then the Lord Jesus Christ put His stamp of
approval on it. But, no. It is old-fashioned—Bible old-fashioned. There it is
right in your Bible. Read it."

They read it. Everybody came back to the meetings. The people said, "Well,
dear old Brother So-and-so who started the church is a fine man who loves
God, but he just didn't understand. It's in the Bible. We see it in there."

Once I was staying in an old parsonage in Oklahoma. Only the living room
had a wall switch.

All the other rooms had a single light bulb with a long string hanging from it.
One night the pastor and I sat up talking in the living room until about 1:30
a.m. I started toward my bedroom and the pastor, without thinking, went out
the other door and flipped off the light switch.

This left me stranded in the dark.

I got as far as the bedroom door. I realized if I walked straight, I ought to

walk right into the string. But I didn't walk straight. I bumped my shins on the
vanity bench. Then I ran into a door on the opposite wall.

From there, I know I veered a little to the left, because I ran into the bedpost.
I held onto the bedpost and said to myself, I know that string is here. I pull it
every night to turn the light on. It's here. I know it's here! But I couldn't find
it.

I began to wave my hand through the air, and finally I hit the string with the
side of my hand.

The string swung back into the palm of my hand. I pulled it, and the light
came on.

As I was standing there, the Lord spoke to my heart and said, "You know,
that's just about how definite many people are in instructing people how to be
filled with the Holy Spirit or get their healing. They put everybody through
the same course, saying, 'There's a string in there sometime —somewhere.
When you find it, pull it.'"

People have sought, and sought, and sought, and never have found the string.
Why not do what the Bible says to do? Why not instruct people according to
the Word of God?

Chapter 5

'COME AND DRINK'

JOHN 7:37-39

37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried,
saying, if any man thirst, let him come unto me, and DRINK.
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly
shall flow rivers of living water.

39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should
RECEIVE: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was
not yet glorified.)

Notice that Jesus said, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink"
(v. 37). Jesus did not say, "Let him come and shout." He didn't say, "Let him
come and pray." He didn't say, "Let him come and sing." He didn't say, "Let
him come and sweat." He didn't say, "Let him come and praise."

He didn't say, "Let him come and prostrate himself and go away empty."

Jesus said, "Let him come and drink." Jesus is using water as a type of the
Holy Spirit.

Did you ever see anybody drink water with his mouth shut? No, you can't
drink water with your mouth shut, and you can't "drink" the Holy Spirit with
your mouth shut. Open your mouth.

Next, how long does it take you to drink when you're thirsty? You just pick it
up and drink it, don't you? Jesus said, "Come and drink." How long do you
have to wait before you can drink?

You don't have to wait to drink, and you don't have to tarry for the baptism in
the Holy Spirit.

A woman in one of my meetings said, "Brother Hagin, my mother has been

seeking the baptism of the Holy Spirit for 19 years. Just as soon as this
meeting is over, I'm going to visit her and share this teaching with her."

When I returned to her church the following year, I asked her, "What
happened to your mother?"

"Well," she said, "I phoned and told her I was coming. It is 150 miles to her
house, and I had to get back the same day in time to get supper for my
husband.
"As we drove up in her driveway, she ran out to the car to see the
grandchildren. The three of them piled out of the car, and I got out.

"I said to her, 'Momma, I don't have a lot of time. I've come up here to get
you filled with the Holy Spirit.'

"She said, 'Now, honey, I've been seeking a mighty long time.'

"I said, 'Yes, I know—19 years. But I didn't come to seek with you. I came
for you to receive.'

"'Yes, but I've been seeking...'

"'Yes, but I don't want you to seek,' I told her.

"There is no use seeking the Holy Spirit. He's not lost. He's right here!'

"We went into the house, and I said to her, 'Now, Momma, sit down right
here.' She sat in a large chair in the living room. I got her Bible from the table
beside her, sat on a stool at her feet, and pointed out from the Book of Acts
how they received right away by the laying on of hands and spoke with
tongues.

"I said to her, 'Now, Momma, I don't have a ministry to do this like Brother
Hagin and others have, but I'm going to lay my hands on you in faith. I
believe that when I lay hands on you, the Holy Spirit will come on you.

"'Open your mouth now, and get ready, because when He comes, I want you
to speak out what He gives you.'"

She said, "I laid hands on her and she started talking in tongues. Within 10
minutes after I got there, she was speaking in tongues, and she had been
seeking 19 years."

You can help others the same way this woman helped her mother. You can
do the same things I do in my meetings.

I do them because the Lord appeared to me in a vision in 1950 and said, "I
have given you a ministry of laying on of hands. Before you lay hands on
them, always read or quote Acts 19:6 to them: 'And when Paul had laid his
hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with
tongues.'"

He said, "You tell the person that I told you to tell them that when you lay
your hands on them, the Holy Spirit will come on them. You tell them that I
told you to tell them that their tongue will seem to want to say something that
isn't English or their natural language. And you tell them that I told you to tell
them to lift their voice and speak out whatever supernatural sound, syllable,
or word comes and keep speaking until a free, clear language comes."

Chapter 6

THE BIBLE WAY TO RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT

Receiving the Holy Spirit is entirely a matter of faith. I have several

suggestions of things you can do to help a person who wants to receive.

First, help that person see that God already gave the Holy Spirit on the day of
Pentecost. The Holy Spirit has been in this world ever since. Help that
individual know that it is up to him (or her) to receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit. He is not to beg God to fill him with the Holy Spirit. All begging is
unbelief. Unbelief begs. Faith shouts.

Second, lead that person to see that anyone who is saved is ready to receive
the Holy Spirit: ACTS 2:38

38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you
in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive
the gift of the Holy Ghost.

We have incorporated a lot of manmade traditions into our Full Gospel

theology. People think they have to do certain things or somehow clean up
their life before receiving the Holy Spirit.

If we could clean up our lives ourselves, what would we need with the blood
of Jesus Christ? I'm blood-washed—blood-bought. If you're saved, you're
clean, too.

Third, it is scriptural to tell the person to expect to receive the Holy Spirit
when hands are laid on him.

Fourth, tell the person what to expect. People get every idea imaginable
otherwise.

Tell that person he is to expect the Spirit to move on his vocal chords and put
supernatural words on his lips. The Holy Spirit gives the utterance, but man
does the speaking. Acts 2:4 says, "And they were all filled with the Holy
Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them ut
erance" (or prompted them to speak).

Similar Scriptures are Acts 10:46, "For they heard them speak with tongues...
."; First Corinthians 14:18, where Paul said, "I thank my God, I speak with
tongues more than ye all"; and First Corinthians 14:2, "he that speaketh in an
unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man
understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries."

Many people say, "I'm afraid I'm going to get it in the flesh." You can't get it
any other way! It is men and women in the flesh worshipping God in the
Spirit. God promised in Joel 2:28, "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I
will pour out my spirit upon all FLESH...."

Fifth, tell the candidate to throw away all fears he got from foolish teachers
that he might receive something false. Help him see that he will not receive a
substitute for the Holy Spirit.

LUKE 11:11-13

11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him
a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?

13 If ye then being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children:
how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them
that ask him?

Sixth, encourage the person to open his mouth wide—this can be an act of
faith—breathe in, and tell God, "I am receiving the Holy Spirit right now by
faith."

Absolutely insist that the person not speak a single word in his natural
language. Encourage him to relax and fearlessly, boldly, lift his voice and
make those supernatural sounds that want to come, working his tongue and
lips as he would if he were speaking English.

Tell him to expect that the Holy Spirit will give him words—that his tongue
will seem to want to say something. This is so in every case. The Holy Spirit
gives the utterance—the person must do the talking. The supernatural part is
what is being said; it is not who is talking.

When you can see that the Spirit is moving on his lips and tongue, tell him to
speak any sounds it seems easy to speak, regardless of what they are.

That's faith. He is lifting his voice and trusting God for guidance. Tell him to
go right on speaking, praising God with those supernatural words until a free,
clear language comes and he has the inner assurance that he has received.

Seventh, don't crowd around persons who come seeking the infilling of the
Spirit. Don't give them confusing instructions. Those present should pray in
the Spirit if they pray out loud; otherwise, they should pray quietly in their
natural language.

These seven steps are the steps I have used to get people filled with the Holy
Spirit since 1938

without tarrying, without waiting—and almost without exception.

(A companion to this book is the minibook Why Tongues? For further study,
we suggest Kenneth E. Hagin's study course The Holy Spirit and His Gifts or
the condensed version of the course, Concerning Spiritual Gifts.)

A Sinner's Prayer to Receive Jesus as Savior

Dear Heavenly Father ...

I come to You in the Name of Jesus.

Your Word says, "... him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out" (John
6:37), so I know You won't cast me out, but You take me in and I thank You
for it.

You said in Your Word, "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord
shall be saved" (Rom. 10:13). I am calling on Your Name, so I know You
have saved me now.

You also said "if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt
believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be
saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the
mouth confession is made unto salvation"

(Rom. 10:9,10). I believe in my heart Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I believe
that He was raised from the dead for my justification, and I confess Him now
as my Lord.

Because Your Word says, "... with the heart man believeth unto
righteousness ..." and I do believe with my heart, I have now become the
righteousness of God in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21) ... And I am saved!

Thank You, Lord!

Signed _______________________________________

Date _________________________________________
 Table of Contents
1 The Holy Spirit is a Gift.............................
2 To Tarry or Not to Tarry.................
3 Receive the Holy Spirit...................
4 The New Testament Way.........................
5 'Come and Drink'........................................
6 The Bible Way to Receive the Holy Spirit....
A Sinner's Prayer to Receive Jesus as Savior.....